Rotary intaglio printing press



A. WEISS `2,362,736

ROTARY INTAGLIO PRINTING PRESS Nov. 14, 1944.

Filed May 7, 1943 2 Sheets-SheetA 1 DIP/V4' .SHAFT n E' INVENTOR A0000#W15/S5 Bafwwf ATTORNEY Tia/ Tijll @4mm @wdrl NOV. 14, 1944. l A. wElsS2,362,736

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CAN 4T lfQU/QL SPffDV CAM ,4T f? P550 INVENTOR Emily ATTORN y PatentedNov. y14, 1944 'UNITED STATES .ROTARY INTAGLIO PRINTING PRESS AdolphWeiss, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to ChamplainCompany, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Originalapplication October 25, 1939, Serial No. K

301,114. Divided and this application May 7, 1943, Serial No. 485,994

s claims. icl. 1411-157) This/invention relates to rotary intaglioprinting machines, and particularly to improvements in such machines ofthe character disclosed in my patents, Nos. Re. 18,856, 2,014,303 and2,055,272, and in my applications Serial'Nos. 81,409 and 130,672. Th'epresent application is a division of my application Serial No. 301,114filed October 25, 1939 (Patent No. 2,321,342) which is a division of myapplication Serial No. 211,325, led June 2, 1938 Patent No. 2,217,191).

Among the general objects of this invention are to provide a simpliedrotary intaglidprinting machine structure and to provide improvedcoordination of the parts thereof.

Still further objects are to provide for auto-l matic suspension ofoperation after a predetermined number of printing cycles, to providefor selective predetermination of such number of printing cycles, and toprovide protection for the ink and inkin'g roller during suspensions ofoperation to thereby maintain the press in operable condition.

Various additional objects will become -evident from the followingdisclosure of illustrative embodiments of the invention. l

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the invention. 1`

Fig. 2 is an enlarged scale elevation, partially in section. of a phasechange coupling shown in Fig. 1. While this is astructural type of view,the figure is supplementary to diagrammatic Fig. 1. Accordingly theillustration of the coupling may be considered as diagrammatic in itsrelation to the invention as a whole.

Fig. 3v is a partially` diagrammatic elevation of an adustable cam that4may be utilized in presses of the present invention.

Figs. 4 to 12, inclusive, arediagrammatic views illustrating some of thevariations in printing results that can be achieved with pressesembodying the present invention.

The invention, illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 1, 4is applicableparticularly to the specic press illustrated in my application`SerialNo. 301,114,-flled October 25, 1939 (now Patent No.

'2,321,342 patented June a, 1943 of which this r is a division.Referring to the drawings, and

particularly .to Fig. 1, the web |45 passes from supply .roll foyerguide roller |1I and between printing cylinder |12 and pressure roller.|14. The printing cylinder is providedwith a completely sealedinkingvsystem |121, of the type disclosed in my Patent. No. 2,217,191.Subsequent to the printing, the web passes between feed rollers |15 and|16, and is delivered between the blades |11 and |18 of-cutting shears.Between the printing cylinder |12 and feed rollers |15, |16, the web maypass over two rollers |19 6 and 80, which are soarranged as to vary thedistance which the webl must travel in moving from the printing cylinderto' the cutting shears. The axis of roller |19 is stationary, but roller|80 is rotatably Amounted on a swinging frame |8| whichis pivotedcoaxially with roller |19. By swinging the frame |8| and locking it to asector |82 by set screw |84, the adjustment is made to vary the lengthof the travel of the web between the printing cylinder |12 and thecutting shears. 15 This adjustment `permits severing off the web at anyselected point in the printing cylinder impression.

The various driven elements of the press are mechanically connectedtogether to be actuated 20 from a single source of power indicated as an`electric motor |85. To permit a clear and convenient diagrammaticshowing of the operating relationships of the diierent parts, bevelledgears. have been indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. 25, However, inactual machine construction, it is preferable to so arrange the parts asto permit the use of spur gears or th'e like. As shown in the vdrawings, the motor drives shafts |86 and |86b, which are in effect asingleoshaft. `By means of shaft |81, power is transmitted to theprinting cylinder |12 to rotate it at predetermined speed, l which maybe the speed of the motor.` A cam |88 `(to be referred to later) isdriven in coordination u with the printing cylinder |12 byk power transymitted to it through shaft |89, phase-change coupling |90, shaft 9 I,variable speed mechanism |92, and shaft |93, which is geared to thedrive shaft. At least one of feedrollers |15 and |16 is driven incoordination with the printing cylinder |12, the driving power' beingtransmitted from the drive shaft' |86b through shaft |94, variable speedmechanism |95, and shaft I 96. The movable blade |11 of the web cuttingshears is adapted to bel actuated by camv |91, which is also driven incoprdination with the printing cylinder |12. The piiwer for driving thecam |91 is derived from *the power shaft. |86b through shaft |98,variable speed mechanism |99, shaft 200, phase-changing coupling 20|,and shaft 202.

Pressure roller |14 is rotatably mounted on a pivoted frame203, which isadapted to be rocked by cam |88. When the inactive -(or low) zone of cam|88 isvin contact with roller 204, the 55 pressure roller |14 holds theweb |45 in contact with the printing cylinder |12. Accordingly,throughout the inactive zone of vcarri |88 the web is printed with anydesign which passes the printing zone ofthe printing cylinder |12.However, during the active (or high) zone of cam |88, the pressureroller |14 is elevated, with the result that the web is out of contactwith the printing cylinder and no printing play takes provides anadjustment so that the cutting shears may be set to operate at anydesired frequency in relation tothe cyclic operation of the machine;-for example, the web may be. severed into lengths corresponding to one,less thln one, or more thanone revolution of printing cylinder |12.Phasechange coupling provides a means whereby the point of severance maybe located o'n the web, though a similar location may be effected by'adjusting the position of roller |80. Var-` iable speed mechanism |92permits the control cam |88 to be rotated at various cyclic rates -inrelation'to the rotation of the printing cylinder |12. Also phase-changecoupling |90 permits any inactive sector of cam |88 to .be located .incoordination with any selected peripheralzone of the printing cylinder|12.

The press may be so controlled thatupon being set in operation, itautomatically stops after v one or more printing cycles (e. g. andcutting one or more slips). This vcontrol may be similar to that shownin Figs. 2 and 5 of my application Serial No. 301,114 (Patent No.2,321,342, patented June 8, 1943), and is so illustrated in Fig. 1.

A cam 300 is shown as driven from drive shaft. |86a through shaft 30|,variable speed mecha- `nism 302, shaft 303, phase change coupling 304,shaft 305, and shaft 306. Thus cam300 may be set at any phase withrespect to the printing cylinder; and for each revolution of thecylinder, it may make one, more than one, or less than one revolution.Once each revolution, cam 300 elevates member |03 and stops the press.The starting and Astopping'of the press is effected by controlling motor|85 and a mechanical and electrical system associated withv member |03'.

This mechanical and electrical system cornprises movable contacts I and|52', which are spring biased away from the stationary contacts l5| and|53, respectively. Pivoted to the press casing (not shown) is a bellcrank lever |54,

having a verticalleg adapted to engage contact |52. A spring |54 biasesbell crank lever |54 with sufcient strength to overcome the bias ofcontact |52 and close the same when llever |54 is free to move. A shaft|55 extends across the press cover; and keyed or pinned to the end ofthe shaft is a bell crank lever |56. This lever is movable to closecontact |50, butis biased in the opposite direction by spring |565.

Assume that the machine is in operation, with the printing cycle inprogress. The electrical contacts are then in the positions shown inFig. 1, the circuit to the motor |85 being maintained after rintm i p g0 driving shaft of the coupling is keyed to a collar '5 205 and thedriven shaft is printing by-relay R. The holding circuit for relay R isthrough connection |60, contact |50, contacts |53 and |52, andconnection |6| and switch |64 to the line. At the end of the printingcycle, cam 300 lifts member |03', which moves bell crank lever |54, andpermits contacts |53, |52 to open. This breaks the holding circuit ofrelay R, allowing the relay to open and stop driving motor |85. A

Attached to extension |93 is a latch-engaging hook |62 which movesupwardly with extension |03', allowing latch |63 to advance so that itsupper portion engages the end of the horizontal arm of bell crank lever|56. The press is started by rotating shaft |55, thereby moving bellcrank lever |56 clockwise to close contacts |50, |5| which complete thecircuit to relay R, so that the relay operates and starts the' drivingmotor |85. Latch |63 is arranged to hold bell crank lever |56 in itsoperated position, thereby maintaining contacts |50, |5| closed as thepress starts to operate. The initial movement of the press causesextension |03 to descend, which allows bell crank lever |54 to rotateand close contacts |52, |53. This restores the original holding circuitfor relay R, through connection |60, contact 50, contacts |53 and |52,and connection |6|. Aftercontacts |52, |53 are closed, hook |62 retractslatch |63 and permits bell crank lever |56 to return to its initialposition and contacts |50, |5| to open.

When the machine cycle is completed, contacts |52, |53 are again openedand the machine stopped. If it is desired to operate the presscontinuously, switch |64 is shifted from contact |65 to contact |66,thus connecting the motor |85'for continuous operation.

Fig. 2 shows more clearly the diagrammatic phase-change couplings |90,20| and 304. The

keyed to an abutting :collar 206. Set screw 201 secures collar 205 tothe driven shaft for. the transmission of power.

By loosening the set screw, the driven shaft can be rotated with respectto the driving shaft to change theoperating phase of the part actuatedfrom the driven shaft. To aidin making the adjustment, the contiguousends of collars 205 and 206 may be provided with a scale and cooperatingindex as shown in the drawings.

`The control cam for elevating and depressing the pressure roller may beof a suitable adjustable type. One of such type of adjustable cam isshown in Fig. 3. Afxed to the cam shaft is a cam element 2|0 havinganactive (or high) zone which extends clockwise from the line s to theline t. Rotatably mounted on the cam shaft is 'a replaceable andadjustable cam element 2|| having an active zone extending clockwisefrom the line u to the line 1). Attachedto cam shaft 2|2 is a collar 2|3which holds the adjustable cam element 2|| against the main cam element2|0. A bolt 208 passes through an arcuate slot 209 in the adjustable camelement and is threaded into the main camelement. The cam roller a: hasa face wide enoughto engage both the edge of thepmain cam element 2| 0and the adjustable cam element 2| I. By setting the adjustable camelement to eiect various degrees of overlap of the active zones ofelements 2|0 and 2|I, the effective active and inactive zones of the camare varied.

Figs. 4 to 12 These figures show afewA of the many printing effects thatmay be produced by a press such e speed of theY printing cylinder, thecam being indicated 'by graph Ille.

inder passes the printing zone without being printed (due to pressureroller |14, Fig. 1 being elevated), the location of such design withrespect to the web is indicated in dot-dash lines in Figs.

For each of Figs. 4 to 12the printing cylinder is the same size, and cam|88 is the same though rotated at various speeds relative to theprinting cylinder. In each of these ilgures, one printing cylinderrevolution corresponds to the web length between consecutive of thevertical dot-dash lines. However, the location of these lines hasnothing to do with the beginning and end of the printed slips (if suchare being made) as the web may be so severed as to place the design onany selected part of the slip.

For Fig. 4, the control cam (|88 in Fig. 1) rotates synchronously withthe printing cylinder which has one square engraving. The cam actiongraph |88a indicates that the web is in contact with the printingcylinder during intervals i (ve shown) and out of contact duringintervening intervals h. Accordingly, web |45* is printed as shown, withone rectangle per printing cylinder revolution; and the length or theprinting cylinder impression is equal to arrow 1400, which is theperipheral length oi' the printing Icylinder.

Tofprint the web |45b shown in Fig. 5, it is only .necessary to soadjust |`the speed of cam |88 that it makes one revolution for. each tworevolutions of the printing cylinder. In other words, the claim-111,185at half the angular speed of the printcylinder.' As indicated bycam graph |88, the design'is printed only every second revolution of.the printing cylinder, so that the printing. cylinder impression istwice the peripheral length` oi the printing cylinder, as indicated bythe length of arrow 400|.

FigrfB-shows the effect oi! reducing the angul rn;1-v 1,"zftne web imis' printed the gemelas the 'web in 6'. The printing cylinder impressionhas the' saine length as indicated by arrow nel. However, lthe result isobtained by reini-- ing the controlv cam at two-thirds the angularaction For mines 'a te 12, the printing cylinder nu both squareand-circular engravings. Operated in continuous with the web, it would lprint ineweb interim in rig. is, the length cylinder impression beingindif or a f the m' :mam L Pfeiffer- :capanne-nomia action indicated bygraph |881. Thelength of the impression is thatof arrow 4001.

lBy cutting the cam speed in half as indicated by graph |88', Fig. 10,the web |45* is printed. This is the same as web |45", Fig. 5, thelength of the printing cylinder impression being that of arrow 4008.

For Fig. 11, the cam is operated synchronously with the printingcylinder as indicated by graph |8811. However, the phase of the cam isshifted 180 degrees from the condition indicated in Fig.

9. Thus, the web |45h is prnted with the clrcular design insteadof thesquare design. Arrow 400h indicates the length of the impression, whichis equal-to the peripheral length of the printing cylinder.

For Fig; 12, the eem' las is slowed te half speed as indicated by, graph|881. The result is that the length of the impression is doubled asindicated by the length of arrow 400i; and web Ais printed with thecircular design every second revolution of the printing cylinder.

For these examples, it will be apparent that a variety of effects may beproduced by suitably correlating the angular speeds of the control camand printing cylinders. 'I'hese may be related after the manner ofratios used in hunting tooth gear sets.. Thus, even with a cam speednear to the cylinder speed, the length of the impression may be made'several (or even many) times the peripheral length of the printingcylinder. Also, the same cylinder may have various designs which may beprinted selectively or in various chosen combinations.

In compliance with the patent statutes, I have disclosed the best formsin which I have -contemplated applying my invention. However, it will beunderstood that the disclosures are illustrative and not limiting.

This application is a division of my application Serial No301,114,flledOctober 25, 1939.

Iclaimz' A i.

1. A rotary prlnting press comprising: a printing cylinder having aperipheral zone free of engravings, a sealed fountain housing sealed tosaid cylinder, means to start the press, and'.

means to stop the press with said zone of the cylinder in a positionoutside of said fountain housing whereby the remaining zones of the cyiling cylinder having a peripheral zone free of engravings, a sealedfountain housing sealed to said cylinder, means to start the press,means to stop the press after a predetermined number of printing cycleswith said zone of the cylinder in a position outside of said fountainhousing whereby the remaining zones of the cylinder are withinithesealedfountain housing, and means ber ofv printing cycles. v 3. A rotaryprinting press comprising: a printto vary'saidpredetermination to adifferent numing cylinder, means to set the cylinder in opera-s tion,means automatically operative to suspend e

